Women’s History Month | Celebrate with Cristal Clarke

CELEBRATE WITH THE SANTA BARBARA CHAPTER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS

March is Women’s History Month. Santa Barbara joins the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. I concur!

Here in Santa Barbara, the local chapter of the Association for Women in Communications (AWC-SB) is recognizing two women for making a difference in our community. KEYT News Anchor Beth Farnsworth and Communications Entrepreneur Kymberlee Weil will receive the honor of Women of Achievement for 2019 by the AWC-SB.

Journalist, television news anchor, and much more

The first honoree this year, Beth Farnsworth, is an award-winning journalist and co-anchor of the KEYT evening newscast. She is passionate about education and environmental issues and has held several positions in television, both on-camera and behind the scenes. The multiple Emmy Award winner holds the one she received for KEYT’s coverage of the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill especially close to her heart. In 2018, she won numerous awards including the Westmont Medal for “courageous, cutting-edge and inspiring news reporting” during the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow.

“I am inspired by the work AWC does and the way it brings women together,” Farnsworth said. “As a mother and working woman, I constantly remind my daughters (and myself at times) that you can say the same thing ten different ways; be careful how you choose your words. Be as straight forward, honest and as kind as possible. And interject humor where you can. Always.”

A public speaker who speaks from the heart

The second nominee is Kymberlee Weil, a lifelong athlete, passionate entrepreneur, improv performer, and exceptional public speaker. She spent nearly 30-years studying the mindset that creates peak performance in business, sports, and communications and has produced six TEDx events, including TEDx Santa Barbara. Through her work, she has helped hundreds of speakers discover their core ideas and transform them into messages the world needs to hear through story, structure, and staging.

“One sentence can change, and sometimes save, someone’s life,” Weil said. “As storytellers, we communicators have a responsibility to affect change in those around us. This recognition of my work in Short-Form High-Stakes Communications is deeply appreciated. Leaders need to master these skills to stand out in our attention-starved world.”

Annual Women of Achievement Luncheon & Awards

Both women will accept their awards at a luncheon on Friday, April 12, 2019, at El Paseo Restaurant in Santa Barbara. Visit the Women of Achievement Awards website for information on how you can attend the luncheon and celebrate these women.

Besides honoring the nominees, the event will feature Perie Longo, Santa Barbara’s Poet Laureate Emeritus. She will continue the organization’s tradition of presenting original poems at the event, composed for each of the honorees.

“The poems Perie writes for each honoree are part of what makes Women of Achievement an award-winning event,” Carolyn Jabs, AWC-SB President said. “The luncheon is our way of celebrating women who have used their gifts as communicators on behalf of our community. Those who attend invariably come away feeling uplifted and inspired!”

AWC-SB uses funds raised through the Women of Achievement Luncheon to underwrite networking and professional development programs for members. Sponsors for the event include Women Connect4Good, Santa Barbara Independent, KEYT-TV, Southern California Edison, The SBCC Foundation, Girls Inc., Montecito Bank & Trust, KCSB-FM and Sanger Swysen & Dunkle, Catherine J. Swysen, Partner.

Read: A Brief Look at Santa Barbara History

What is AWC?

AWC is a national organization that has encouraged women to develop their skills as communicators for over 100 years. The Santa Barbara chapter sponsors monthly meetings helping women at all stages of their careers to stay current with important developments in the technology, practice, psychology, and ethics of communications. Members are also encouraged to assume leadership roles in the organization, their careers and their communities. For more information visit http://awcsb.org.

AWC-SB is the only AWC chapter in the entire State of California. Members include women at different stages of their careers and with different backgrounds and skill sets. Regular networking meetings allow women to deepen their professional friendships, often leading to collaborative opportunities.

Monthly meetings feature speakers and panel discussions designed to help communicators stay at the top of their game. A few of the topics from recent meetings include “How to Handle Online Criticism”, “Becoming an Influencer”, “Building Your Brand”, “To Pod or Not to Pod”, “From Crisis to Calm with Effective Communication” and “Managing Information Overload”.

AWC-SB has also sponsored public screenings of movies like Citizen McCaw and Wonder Women: The Untold Story of American Superheroine as well as receptions for prominent local communicators like Gloria Feldt, author of No Excuses: Nine Ways Women Can Change How We Think about Power. During the summer, they choose books relevant to communicators and discuss them over Books for Breakfast.

It is so wonderful to live in a community that honors the achievements of others and celebrates Women’s History Month. If you live here, you can join AWC-SB and network with other well-respected women in our community. If you are looking to move here or thinking about moving into a new home in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities, please check out my comprehensive website then give me a call at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. By the way, although I don’t normally toot my own horn, I am very excited and proud to be named the #7 agent nationwide for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Properties out of more than 45,000 agents. The award comes just in time for Women’s History Month!

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